Chapter 6
"Let's be friends"
Jimin was standing outside the library, nervously tapping his foot on the ground as he kept looking at his phone to check the time. Time used to be the enemy of Jimin, going by so fast he didn't know how to balance school and dancing, but today it was the other way around. Time was going by slower than a snail and he sighed deeply before putting his phone back in his pocket.
People who were passing by couldn't hold back their stares as Jimin was looking even more handsome than usual, which also meant he had to listen to his two roommates tease him before leaving the dorm. He didn't answer any of their questions, even though they were right on point when they kept asking if he was meeting up with "the girl from the library". All he did was telling them to shut up and then leave without saying anymore.
He was way early and he didn't want to go inside, since he was afraid it would make Ha Na stressed out. Therefor he had decided to just wait outside until Ha Na was done working.
As he was standing there trying to be patient, a girl neared him. For some reason, Jimin felt like he had seen her before, but he just couldn't figure out where. As he was thinking about that, he suddenly realized the girl was standing right in front of him, showing him the biggest smile in the world.
"Uhm... hello?" said Jimin, as he didn't know what else to do with the smiling girl in front of him.
"Hello, Park Jimin." Jimin's eyes widened when the girl spoke his name, which he did not remember telling her.
"I am sorry," said Jimin, "do I know you?"
"I don't think you do, but after today you most certainly will," said the girl and blinked.
"I... I am sorry..." stuttered Jimin as the girl was getting awfully close, "I am not intere-" Jimin was cut off when Ha Na suddenly came flying out the door of the library and attacked the girl in front of him.
"HA NA!" yelled the girl and in the same second a light lit up in Jimin's head.
"Oh!" said Jimin, "you are the girl I almost bumped into outside Ha Na's house." The girl's head popped up, still in Ha Na's embrace.
"Bingo!" said Jung Hwa and then started laughing when she saw the relieved look in Jimin's eyes. Ha Na let go of Jung Hwa and shifted her look back and forth between her and Jimin, trying to figure out what was going on. She hit Jung Hwa lightly on her arm to get her attention and then started signing. Jimin watched curiously as the conversation was going on in which he understood nothing. Then in the end, Ha Na hit Jung Hwa again and this time it didn't look like she was hitting her lightly.
"Alright alright," said Jung Hwa while signing. She turned around to face Jimin again, "Ha Na wants me to apologize for teasing you. I am sorry."
"Oh that is okay, even though I was getting a bit flustered."
"Yeah, I could see that," said Jung Hwa and was trying her hardest not to laugh. Ha Na just sighed and then pulled out her phone and wrote something she then showed to Jimin.
I'm apologizing on behalf of my friend. She can be a bit weird but she's not a bad person once you get to know her.
"Who is weird?" said Jung Hwa while signing.
"I am sure you are a very nice person," said Jimin quickly.
"Well as I said earlier, after today you will know." Jimin looked at Jung Hwa while blinking very fast.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, did you think it was just going be you and Ha Na?" said Jung Hwa with a lifted brow and a smirk, "didn't you meet her family a while ago. Did they seem like people who will let their only daughter hang out with a stranger all alone?" Jimin nodded along, understanding where she was coming from.
"Alright then!" said Jimin while looking at Ha Na, making sure she understood, "shall we get going?"
At first Jimin had felt a little disappointed when he found out Jung Hwa would join them, but it turned out to be very useful to have someone there who understood sign language. Also, Jung Hwa was pretty fun and she seemed to make Ha Na relax.
After walking around a bit, enjoying the spring weather and looking at dogs in the park, they decided to get something to eat at a small noodle restaurant.
"Do you guys come here often?" asked Jimin.
"No this is our first time trying this place," answered Jung Hwa.
At the same moment, the food arrived and they all looked at the delicious dish in front of them. For a while they just focused on eating. Jimin wanted to ask about the food, but as he saw Ha Na all absorbed, he thought it would be best to wait until she could look him in the eyes.
"Woah that was so good!" exclaimed Jung Hwa and made sure to sign for Ha Na.
"It really was, did you like it Ha Na?" Ha Na signed something and Jung Hwa nodded.
"She said she liked it very much and she wants to come back again sometime."
"Me too!" said Jimin, "Thank you, Jung Hwa, for translating for me."
"You are welcome," said Jung Hwa.
"You two seem to get along really well, did you go to school together?" asked Jimin and looked at Ha Na and then at Jung Hwa.
"Ah no, we are not the same age, besides, Ha Na went to a school for deaf people," said Jung Hwa while signing.
"Of course," said Jimin and hit himself in the head, "But you are not the same age? I thought you were for sure."
"Oh it is only a 1 year difference. I am 26 and Ha Na is 25." Jimin's face suddenly turned all white, but Jung Hwa didn't notice before she had asked him the dreaded question:
"So how old are you?"
"Well..." started Jimin, "I am... twenetoyearsol..."
"I am sorry... you are how old?" said Jung Hwa as she didn't understood Jimin's mumbling.
"I am 22 years old," said Jimin with a sigh. Ha Na looked at Jung Hwa since he hadn't been able to read his lips.
"What did he say?" signed Ha Na.
"He said he is 22 years old," signed Jung Hwa back and giggled.
"Hey!" signed Ha Na and hit Jung Hwa, "don't tease him just because he is younger than us. That makes you seem like the younger one." Ha Na took out her phone and wrote something she then showed to the depressed boy in front of her.
Age doesn't matter, let's still be good friends. You can call me Noona if you want, but calling me Ha Na is also fine with me.
"No no!" said Jimin hurringly, "I should address your according to your age."
"You can call me Noona too," said Jung Hwa and flipped her hair over her shoulder and Ha Na again hit her while Jimin just nervously rubbed his neck, not knowing what to do.
"Please excuse me for a second while I go to the bathroom," said Jung Hwa all of a sudden and got up from her seat. After she left it suddenly got awkwardly silent and even though it was always silent for Ha Na, she could feel the tension too. She brought out her phone and showed it to Jimin.
I'm sorry if this didn't turn out like you hoped. You don't have to stay, you probably have school or work or other friends to hang out with.
"No no I am having a great time! I like your friend, she is a little scary, but she is a fun person." Ha Na laughed a little and then wrote something on her phone again.
She can be a little scary but...
"Oh," Jimin said before he read the whole thing, "you got a message." Ha Na looked at her phone and saw that there was indeed a message.
From: Unnie 💕
I went home so you two could get a little time alone 😏You can thank me later 😙
"What is it?" said Jimin when he noticed the worried look on Ha Na's face.
Jung Hwa Unnie left.
"Really?" said Jimin and suddenly felt a bit worried himself, "you can leave too if you want. I can understand your family isn't comfortable with you being alone with me."
That is okay, I am sure Unnie will cover for me if she needs to. Let us hang out a bit longer, what do you think?
"Sure, I would like that!"
Then, just as they were about to discuss what to do next, it was Jimin's turn to get interrupted by his phone. As he felt it vibrating in his pocket, he was sure it would be either Jungkook asking if he could eat his last KITKAT bar or Taehyung teasing him about still being out with Ha Na. But to his big surprise it was neither of them.
"Hyung, why are you calling?" asked Jimin when he answered Hoseok's call.
"Where are you?" said Hoseok
"What do you mean?" said Jimin even more confused.
"What do I mean? I am in the practice room now and I have been waiting for you for 30 minutes."
"But Hyung, I told you I couldn't make it today."
"What? But I changed my schedule just to be able to practice with you today."
"Really? I guess I have to canc- WAIT! Hyung do you mind if I bring someone along?"
"No, why?" Jimin held a hand over the mic and looked at Ha Na.
"I forgot I made an appointment to go practice dancing with my friend. Do you want come?" Ha Na hurried and grabbed her phone.
Sure, but won't I be in the w-
"Cool, I will be there in 10 minutes!" Jimin said to Hoseok without reading Ha Na's entire sentence.
"Fine but who are you bringing? Taehyung?"
"No... just... someone."
"Someone?"
"Yes... Hyung I am hanging up now... bye!" Jimin hung up before Hoseok could say any more and then put his phone away.
"Shall we go?" he said and looked at Ha Na.
***
Hoseok was standing in the practice room with eyes as huge as tea cups and his jaw almost reaching the floor when he saw the girl next to Jimin.
"Is this the girl you met at the library?" asked Hoseok.
"Yes this is my friend, Kim Ha Na."
"Woah," said Hoseok while looking at her, "is she completely deaf?" Jimin just nodded, "she is cute!" Ha Na immediately started blushing and Jimin internally face palmed.
"Hyung, she can read lips." Now it was Hoseok's turn to start blushing and Ha Na just giggled. Then Ha Na started signing something and both Hoseok and Jimin looked at her in total awe.
"What did she say?"
"I don't know either."
I said, it's nice to meet you. My name is Kim Ha Na and I'm 25 years old.
I hope we get along well.
"She is older than us," whispered Hoseok and Jimin nodded, "well, it is nice to meet you too. I am Jung Hoseok, 22 years old and Jimin's friend and practice buddy." Hoseok extended his hand and Ha Na grabbed it in a quick handshake.
"Alright, enough goofing around. You are an hour late so we need to start practicing RIGHT NOW!"
"Yes yes," said Jimin, "Noona, you can just sit on one of those chairs, let me know if you need something to drink." Ha Na nodded along and took a seat at one of the chairs he had pointed at.
As she watched the two friends getting ready to start practicing she felt her heart beat faster. She couldn't help but be excited to see what kind of dancer Jimin was. Would he be like Hakyeon, sharp and confident? Somehow, she couldn't imagine him being like that. He seemed too kind and sweet to act that way, both on the dance floor or in real life.
Then, without any warning, they started dancing and Ha Na was watching with intensity.
Even though Hoseok was definitely a great dancer and looked like someone who practiced everyday, just like Hakyeon, Ha Na couldn't keep her eyes off of Jimin. One of the things she noticed the first time she talked to him was his cute appearance. Even though he was taller than her, he was still a short guy and his small hands and round cheeks made him look like a cute mochi.
But when he danced he didn't look like a boy, he didn't look like a man either, but rather like an angel. His feet were barely touching the ground, at some moments Ha Na was rather sure he was flying. She knew they were dancing to music, and even though she wasn't able to hear it, she could feel the music when she looked at Jimin. It felt like he wasn't dancing to the music, but that the music had flown into his body and was now moving him around on the floor. Instead of owning the dance floor, he gave into it, gave into the music and just let his body move along to it.
When the song was over and they both stopped dancing, Ha Na started clapping her hands like crazy showing through her smile just how much she loved their performance.
"You seem more serious today," said Hoseok between his pants, "almost as if you are trying to impress someone."
"What are you talking about Hyung," said Jimin shyly, "let us just drink a bit and then practice some more."
"Yeah yeah," said Hoseok and took another sip of his water bottle, "well then, let us dance until we can't feel our legs anymore."
"Deal!"
Hello everyone!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to stay warm and eat healthy and take care of yourself. Stay safe.
Also, don't forget to leave a comment down below.
Love, Annalise~